This invention relates to improved golf clubs, specifically the putter, which is used on the green or putting surface surrounding the hole for the purpose of rolling the golf ball into the hole, and the driving wood (driver), which is used on the golf tee for the purpose of propelling the golf ball in the air toward the green, and more particularly to a system for vertically positioning and stabilizing or controlling the height of a golf club above the ground at the moment of impact with the golf ball.
As most golfers know, two of the most exacting shots that a golfer must make are the initial drive off the tee and the putt on the green. With reference to driving, it is important, among other criteria, that the head of the driver contact the ball at an exact location in order to achieve maximum distance and accuracy. In preparation for the drive, the golf ball is normally placed upon a wooden or plastic tee which elevates the ball above the golf tee surface. The driver head impacts the ball in this elevated position and propels it down the fairway toward the green.
During this stroke, golfers have a tendency to hit either below or above the center of the elevated ball. This may be the result of slight variations in their swing in that they appear to raise or lower the driver head as it approaches the ball prior to impact with the ball or it may result from inconsistent tee placement with respect to locating the ball above the ground surface each time.
If the driver head impacts the elevated ball too far under the ideal contact point, a skied drive will result. If the driver head impacts the ball too far above the ideal contact point, a topped drive will result. Either of these conditions result in decreased distance and accuracy as opposed to a golf swing in which the club head strikes the ball with the ideal contact point on the driver head in horizontal alignment with the center of mass of the ball.
When the golf ball is elevated above the ground on a tee in preparation for driving, it has been observed that after exact vertical positioning of the ball, the best golfers drag the club head along the ground for a distance before elevating it behind the golfer in preparation for the downward driving stroke. It has also been observed that this dragging of the club head along the ground appears to make the golfer automatically pivot, keep his head steady, keep the golf swing on plane, and give the ball as much desired overspin. However, problems arise during the driving stroke down-swing in that sometimes the golfer will tee the ball too high or too low so that upon the club head impacting the ball, even after execution of the correct swing, the "sweet spot" or ideal contact point on the face of the club head does not impact the ball exactly right, this reducing either the accuracy or the distance of the ball or both.
Devices for improving driving woods have been known in the art for quite some time. For example, at least one device has been designed for insuring that as a driver is dragged along the ground, a sound is created, the denoting to a golfer that he is executing the proper method of taking the driving wood back, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,043 to Carney. A device for preventing driving woods from digging into the turf is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,255,332 to Russell.
With reference to putting, it is important, among other criteria, that the putter head or blade impact the golf ball at an exact location in order to achieve proper distance, head control and line accuracy. In preparation for executing a putt, the golfer, due to the construction of most putters currently on the market, is confronted with a vertical positioning problems. Specifically, when the putter is placed proximate the golf ball, the bottom surface of the putter is contacting the green, but the putter is not, with respect to the ideal impact point on the golf ball, properly vertically positioned.
In order to have the "sweet spot" or ideal impact point on the putter face impact the ball in proper alignment with its center of mass, most conventional putters require that the golfer raise the bottom surface of the putter head up off the green, thereby breaking contact with the green surface. With the putter head suspended in air, there is no known way to insure that the ideal impact point of the putter head face and the center mass of the golf ball coincide at impact during the putting stroke except by trial and error. Needless to say, even if the golfer is able to determine the exact vertical height of the putter head face above the putting green surface, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce this exact vertical position with respect to height above the green at impact with the golf ball on each putting stroke.
The vertical postioning problem in addition to the problems of holding the putter steady and maintaining the club head square, often results in the putter blade wiggling from side to side, twisting from end to end, and/or moving up and down. This condition is sometime referred to as the "yips" and is experienced at times by both young and old, amateur and professionals alike. The "yips" appear to be more prevalent with the pendulum-like putter that, unless rigidly restrained by the golfer's hands and arms, becomes completely unstable, thus resulting in putts that are off target.
During the putting stroke, golfers have a tendency to raise or lower the putter head with respect to the green as the putter head approaches the golf ball just prior to impact with the ball as well as difficulty in holding the putter steady and maintaining a square club face. If the putter face impacts the golf ball too high above the ball's center of mass, the ball tends to dig into the green surface, thus causing it to roll inaccurately across green out of line with the hole. If the putter head impacts the ball too low or digs into the putting surface or green, the ball tends to jump across the green, rolling out of line with the hole. Either of these conditions results in inaccuracy in both distance and putting line to the hole as opposed to when the putting head blade center mass or "sweet spot" impacts the golf ball center mass.
There have been a variety of attempts to increase the putting accuracy of the golfer. One attempt dealing with putting from the fringe area surrounding the putting surface or green is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,202 to Jacobson. Devices for decreasing the friction between the putter head and the putting surface are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,680,868 (Jacobs), 2,426,274 (Kramer), and British Pat. No. 11,463 of 1902.
A common drawback to both the putters and driving woods known in the art is that the putters and/or drivers rely solely upon the golfer to position and stabilize either the putter head or the face of the driving wood head at the correct height with respect to the golf ball's center of mass. With respect to putting, proper vertical positioning of the putting head with respect to the center mass of the ball eliminates ground scuffing of the putter head or topping of the ball. Putter vertical stabilization is controlled by only one point of contact, that being between the club and the golfer's hands. With respect to driving woods, proper vertical positioning of the club faces with respect to the center mass of the ball eliminates both skying and topping of the drive and is also contacted by only one point of contact, that being the club and the golfer's hand.
Thus there is a need in the art for a device which, when attached to a putter, produces exact reproducible vertical height positioning of the putter head above the green with respect to the center mass of the golf ball for putting the ball, and for providing a point of contact for the putter with the ground to stabalize the putter and act as a dampener to produce overall putter head stability and a device which when attached to a driving wood provides exact reproducible vertical height positioning of the driving wood head with respect to the center mass of the golf ball elevated on a tee.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device which can be utilized with either a putter or a driving wood to position both golf clubs vertically with respect to the ball in order to control the impact height as well as dampen and stabilize the putter; to provide an improved putter which produces exact reproducible vertical positioning of the putter head above the putter surface with respect to the center mass of the golf ball; to provide a device which can be utilized with the vast majority of the putters currently on the market for reproducing the vertical height of the putter head with respect to the golf ball above the putting surface; and to provide a device which effects exact reproducible vertical positioning of a driving wood head above the surface of the ground with respect to the center mass of a teed up golf ball.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.